How Can I Stop Being Lazy

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We only have one body. Something we don’t tend to think about on a day-to-day basis. We know how life works; we live, pay taxes, die (yada, yada, yada). So why do we constantly forget about the most essential part in prolonging that equation: taking care of ourselves. While there are things about our health we can’t control, there are a great number of things we can actively control that only benefit us. It can be very easy to get into the habit of creating excuses for ourselves but those excuses eventually become us.

Why Am I So Lazy?

Have you ever noticed that some of the most productive days you have are also the ones you have the least amount of time to yourself? That’s because when you’re busy, you are forced to manage your time productively. On those off days when we seem to have an abundant amount of time, we always tell ourselves were going to have a very productive day. We plan to destroy the gym, meal prep out the whole week, clean the house and catch up with everything. But the next thing you know, its 6pm and all we’ve accomplished is binge-watching Netflix and eating half a bag of potato chips.

Having too much time on our hands can hurt us when we don’t manage it productively.

Time is not the issue, how we manage it is. We don’t always think about the long run effects of our decisions. We think that “one day” won’t make a difference and sure when its just “one day” it won’t. But that’s not usually the case. The excuses we create for ourselves tend to become habit.

Now don’t think something is wrong with you because you fall into this pattern of laziness. As humans we are biologically programmed to save energy. “Professor Daniel Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University claims that in an effort to conserve energy in hard times, evolution has selected for us to do only as much exercise as is needed to survive.” (Ryan Ohair, 2016.) While this is an adaptation our bodies made to survive back in caveman days, it only works against us in today’s society.

I’m sure we all know the reason why were still struggling to lose that unwanted weight isn’t because were exercising too much. A main reason we fall into this pattern of laziness is because we start to believe ourselves to be the exception.

A lot of things don’t make perfect sense in this world. Why is it that the girl with the “perfect body” can eat McDonalds for dinner every night and I can’t even look at French fries without gaining weight? Right. Well you’re not alone in that feeling. You are just not the exception to the rule. The rule being that when you eat badly, you gain weight and your health declines.

The reality we all need to accept is that the “exception” is temporary for most. Sure one in a million might escape the odds but for most, your decisions will catch up to you sooner or later.

If you knew that skipping the gym to stay home and order a pizza would deprive you of seeing a sunrise when you’re 83, would you make the same decision?

Rethink Your Body

A great way to counter the unhealthy desire we have for laziness is to “rethink” how we treat our bodies. Instead of treating them like a trash can, treat them like a temple. We should be worshiping them every day because they keep us grounded. They give us the ability to achieve amazing feats. They truly are a work of art.

Scientists are still discovering new aspects to our bodies. And there is no alternative that can match the original. Without our bodies, we cease to exist in this world. Whether you believe in another world or not, there’s no reason to sacrifice your time in this one. Each day we choose to ignore our health, we are choosing to sacrifice it. So why do we continue to do so? It’s because we have a limited concept of time.

How Do I Make The Most Out of My Time?

Simply stated, we do not think about time the way we should. Time is something that controls every aspect of your life. We use it every single day.

But we constantly forget about how unpredictable time really is. We like to think we have an endless supply of time because it surrounds us. But we don’t. We have no control over how much time we have, we can only control how we use what we do have. In order to get the most of that time, have a plan!

The easiest way to stay on track and get the most out of your time is by having a plan. In order to do so, first figure out what your priorities are and list them numerically in order of importance.

For example:

My overall health

Family/Significant Others/Friends

Work

Finances

(Your priorities may rank a little different, this is just a general list)

After you have ranked your priorities, plan your schedule every day according to these priorities. It doesn’t matter if you use an electronic calendar or write it out, just so long as you have something to keep track of your schedule with.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

5:30am: Wakeup/gym

6am: Wake up/gym

7am: Wake up/Breakfast

9am: Wake up/ Breakfast

5:30am: Wake up/Gym

7:30am: Eat/get ready for work

8:30am: Doctors appointment

10:30am: Work from home

7:30am: Eat/Get Ready for Work

9:30am-6pm: Work

10:30am: Grocery store, run errands

9:30am-4pm: School

1-2:30pm: Meeting with Client (at 2343 Priority Street)

9:30-6pm:Work

8:30pm: Plan budget for the week

1pm: Plan schedule for following week

4:30pm-6pm: Finish Homework/ Study with friends

3pm-4pm: Go to Gym

6:30pm-8pm: Time with family/significant other

3pm: Pick up kids from school

6:30-8:00pm: Gym

5:00-8pm: Work from home

7pm: Dinner with Friends

6pm: Dinner with family/ relax :)

9pm: Meal Prep for the week

This calendar is just an example of a weekly planned out schedule. Each day varies in the type of lifestyle and importance of priorities. The amount of time given to each priority does not necessarily mean it is more important than any other, its more about making sure each priority is attended to before adding in flexible priorities.

Examples of flexible priorities are things like “washing clothes” or “cleaning dishes”. Sure, we need to be keeping up on these things but they can easily be adjusted within your schedule, or attended to on your less busy days. Once you have a basic framework of your top priorities you’ll begin to notice how much easier it is to balance all aspects of your life and avoid excessive laziness.

How To Avoid Failure

In order to avoid the slippery slope of mess-ups, stick to your plan! Sure things will get out of hand at times. We are humans and no one is perfect all the time. But, when things go wrong, revert back to your priorities. Remember what you want most out of life and revert your energy back into those things!

The Big Point

We cannot always avoid the challenges in life. But with the right mindset, we come to realize that is one of the greatest things about life! We have the ability to constantly push ourselves and achieve new heights. Challenges ultimately test our strength and provide us with a new set of skills to handle any aspect of life. All it takes to accomplish your goals is a little bit of consistency, surrounding yourself with people who share the same positive mindset as you and having an effective plan to hold yourself too.